Italian police have refused to handle security for an Israeli exhibit at a central Milan square next week due to threats of violence by Palestinian activists, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.The definition of terrorism is "the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims." This is a textbook example, and here is proof that it works.
The exhibit, set to take place at Piazza Duomo, has been planned in honor of 'Israel Week' in the city. It includes 15 towers showcasing Israeli culture, technology, agriculture, economics, and art "to present the unfamiliar Israel".
But pro-Palestinian organizations are threatening to target the exhibit. Over the past few days the groups have been urging internet users to sign a petition to cancel the exhibit.
Web posters issued by the groups threaten to "ignite the city" and say, "No to Israeli occupation of Milano".
The exhibit has received all necessary permits from Milan's municipality, but political turmoil surrounding the election process in the city have apparently short-circuited communications between the municipality and police, who say officers stationed at the open-air plaza will have difficulty securing the area in the event violence breaks out.
On Monday the municipality was preparing to hold a conference that could end with orders to move the exhibit to a closed space.
It must be great for Arab terrorists to know that they only need to make a poster or two threatening to "ignite the city" to force municipal officials to bend to their will.
The subtext is that behind the threat is a real chance for violence. Which is why any similar threat by a Zionist or Jewish group would not result in the city of Milan bending over backwards to accommodate the people behind the threat - it would simply not be credible.
Decades of Arab and Islamic terror has conditioned the world to accept it as a given, and therefore to submit to it.
Terrorism works, because we allow it to.